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What is a Trojan and how do you remove it?

You are probably already familiar with the term computer virus. Perhaps you have even heard of malware or spyware. But are you familiar with Trojans? Is it the same thing as a virus? Is it just like spyware? Should I be concerned that a Trojan could harm my computer? Well, the answer is yes and no.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Unfortunately, the symptoms of a virus, spyware, malware, or a Trojan are very similar and include the following:

• Slowness
• Unwanted popups
• Too many browser toolbars
• Registry errors
• Software slow to open and run
• Driver corruption
• Missing .dll files
• Blue screens (BSOD)

Specifically, a Trojan is very similar to the Trojan Horse of Greek Mythology, where a statue of a horse was left outside the gates of Troy in hopes it would be brought within the walled city. Unbeknownst to the guards, the ‘gift’ was holding enemy soldiers and once inside they could wreak havoc upon the city. A Trojan virus is named so basically for the same reason. The unsuspecting computer user may download a free game, program, or screensaver and introduce a potentially harmful piece of malware into their system. Once installed, the program may attempt to send various ads in the form of popups in hopes of generating revenue for the Trojan creator. Moreover, the harmful program could compromise operating system security by installing a key logger, monitoring the user’s screen, or gaining administrative access to the computer in an attempt to steal user data.

Trojan viruses can be very difficult to manually remove. Removal steps depend on the specific type of malware you have contracted. Examples of Trojan viruses include: Trojan Vundo, Trojan Zlob, Trojan FakeAV, and Trojan.gen. In the end, it’s best to use trojan removal software to rid your system of the malicious code.